


A New Family

by SapphireBlueJiyuu



Series: The Domestication of Wolves (in times of peace) [6]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Fluff, House Stark, Series Spoilers, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 22:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireBlueJiyuu/pseuds/SapphireBlueJiyuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do not be nervous, sweetling, for the end is simply the beginning."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Family

The morning of the wedding, Shireen was scared witless. Rickon had spoken not more than a few words to her since she arrived from Storms End a little over a month prior.

Lady Sansa (who had arrived from Highgarden with her three children and her lord husband a few days now) sweetly assured her that Rickon was more of a man of action than words and that she should not take offense to his taciturn ways.

Lady Arya (Shireen was not allowed to call her such unless she wanted to suffer the wrath of the She-Wolf) brazenly said that if he was a prat to her, that she should simply tell the older girl and Arya will stick her youngest brother with “the pointy end” of her Needle.

Ygritte (who had accompanied Lord Jon Targaryen from Castle Black) was annoyed with her strange outlook of Rickon's behavior and simply told her that Shireen should steal Arya's Needle and “stick him with the pointy end” herself. Lord Jon looked amused at his wife's jest.

Lady Meera had smiled one of her secret smiles before attempting to sooth Shireen's worries with one of her many stories of Rickon and his travels (that tactic proved to not help in the slightest).

Queen Myrcella (who was now braiding Shireen's hair in an intricate Southeron fashion) had come to see if she had needed anything that morning and, without thinking, the young Baratheon sought comfort from the kind queen and her warm embrace. She did not chide her for her distraught, did not reprimand her for feeling scared. She simply held her in her arms and said, “I know that all this is quite frightening, sweetling. I too was once scared as you on my wedding day. Robb was so fiercely strong and smart and handsome, I could not quell my fear that I would not be worthy of being his wife. Lady Catelyn, my own mother, and even Sansa, at the time, tried to help me but to no avail. The only person who was able to comfort me was little Rickon, my very best friend. He would tell me how Robb was not as great as people make him out to be, how he was arrogant, how he flirted shamelessly with the older girls, how he would not let Rickon swordplay with him, Jon, and Theon Greyjoy. He humanized Robb for me and for that, I was vastly grateful. I was still nervous on the day of the wedding but at least I went in knowing that I was simply marrying a man, not the great Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell.”

Shireen listened intently before looking up to see Queen Myrcella had finished with her hair. “There. Now, you look like a real Southeron bride.”

She gazed at herself in the looking glass, thinking how misplaced the beautiful hair was against the marred complexion of her blackened flesh. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Myrcella clucked at her, “None of that now. We are going to be sisters after today. I _implore_ you to call me 'Cella.”

“As you wish, Your- Cella.” Shireen replied shyly, feeling blasphemous at the improper manner that she had been conducting herself in front of the Queen of the North.

Myrcella sensed her disquiet disposition and smiled warmly. “I'll tell you a secret, sweetling. You must swear, though, that you will never tell a soul.”

Shireen nodded eagerly as the radiant queen leaned forward and pressed her jagged scarred cheek to Shireen's discolored skin, “He is just as nervous as you are.”

Shireen whipped her head around to face the queen, disbelief plain on her face.

Myrcella laughed primly, “It is true. Just watch him– _truly_ watch him– and you will see.”

Shireen was escorted into the Godswoods by her father. Looking up at those who were present, Shireen was left astounded by the sheer size of her soon-to-be good-family. On one side of the heart tree, Lord Willas stood leaning on his cane and an affectionate arm around Lady Tyrell's waist, their twins standing at attention proudly next to one another. Next to them, (a surprisingly well-behaved) Lady Arya and Ser Gendry, each holding the hand of their daughter, who had recently celebrated her third nameday. Sitting in his wheeled chair, was Lord Bran with his kind smile, his wife Lady Meera standing behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder. On the other side of the heart tree was King Robb and Queen Myrcella (who slyly winked at her), as well as their four children, all around the same age. They stood regal, poised with grace and benignity as they watched Shireen and Stannis Baratheon enter the sacred woods. Lord Jon and Ygritte stood next to them, the older woman cradling their yet-to-be-named babe in her arms.

Growing up Shireen had been so painfully lonely that there were days where she would dream of having a large family of her own; a loving family who wouldn't judge her or cringe at the sight of her sickly skin. The want was so bad, many nights she had prayed and prayed to any god that would listen to her, falling asleep with streaks of tears falling from her eyes. Looking upon the family that she will gain today, the young girl thought fondly that mayhaps there are still gods that are looking over her.

Then she was there, Rickon was standing in front of her, Shaggydog at his side. Taking a moment to actually see the young man in front of her, Shireen noticed the subtle way Rickon's fingers fidgeted at his side, grazing over his direwolf's fur. He tried to mask that action by shifting restlessly from one foot to the other, his feral gray eyes not meeting hers. She saw him gnaw at the inside of his cheek and wondered if he broke the skin with all of his biting.

Once Stannis stood back, Rickon proceeded to say his vows to her, his voice of ice and steel could not mask the tremble in his speech.

It was in that moment of clarity that Shireen nearly burst into a shivering puddle of tears. The Queen was right: he _was_ just as nervous as she.

Visibly relaxing, Shireen felt the words of her vows echo in the Godswoods loud and clear, her voice did not falter as she felt a strength, she did not know she possessed, overtake her. And when he removed her cloak of gold and black, and threw over a heavy cloak of gray and white, Shireen felt the warmth of pride coarse through her veins, because his wild eyes darkened with possessiveness. A thrill shot through her body like lightening. Those eyes were filled with unchecked passion and want. She knew that the stronger she became, the stronger he will want her. Shireen steeled herself in that moment as she did the one thing that she would have never allow herself to do if she was not drunk on the power of hoping to tame the wild wolf of the North: she launched herself into her new husbands arms and kissed him squarely in front of her new family. She could hardly hear the collective gasps, cheers, catcalls, and the howling approval of Shaggydog over the blood that was rushing in her ears and the taste of coppery blood mixed with the wildness of winter in Rickon's kiss. His arms that wrap around her, pulling her to him - into him and into his world - was warm and welcoming.

**Author's Note:**

> There are A LOT of characters in here. So I hope I did them justice. This one was one of the harder ones to write (second only to "Concession" - the JonxYritte one) but I think that was due to the fact that it's suppose to kind of wrap up this little series. I don't know if I'll write more for it. I might, I might not. I did though, have a lot of fun while it lasted. And I hope you all found some form of amusement from this series too.


End file.
